A Glance at What Could Be
by Rachel9
Summary: The very end of "The Gift" where Spike gets to see what the outcome of two possible choices is and his decision will greatly affect the world
1. Default Chapter

A Glance at What Could Be  
  
By *~Rachel*~  
  
Disclaimer: Oh yes…they are ALL MINE! (Sarcastic) Haha. RIGHT. Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Twentieth Century Fox Productions, UPN, Sandollar Television, and Mutant Enemy own BtVS. No copyright infringements were intended. This is my story and not meant to copy the show.  
  
Rating: It's basically PG-13 all the way though.  
  
Summary: The very end of "The Gift" where Spike gets to see what the outcome of two possible choices is.  
  
Spoilers: "The Gift," definitely. Let's just say everything up to that, mostly concentrating on 5th season. "I Love You" Is by Sarah McLachlan- not me!  
  
Author's Notes: _______ Signifies thoughts.  
  
Distribution: My site, Sinister Attraction, the groups I'm sending them out to can archive them, and....anyone else can just ask me first! (I'll probably say 'yes')  
  
Feedback? OF COURSE! C'mon, I live for it!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You don't come near the girl, Doc," Spike said as he turned around and protected Dawn with his body. His back ached from the knife that Doc had just stuck in his back, but Spike tried to hold his ground.  
  
Doc looked at Spike with confusion clear on his face. "I don't smell a soul anywhere on you. Why do you even care?" He asked him.  
  
"I made a promise to a lady," Spike replied. His mind traveled to Buffy, who was down there fighting for her life. She was fighting Glory, trying to stop her when she had no clue that Doc was up here instead.  
  
"Oh?" Doc asked in surprise. Doc's tongue suddenly came flying out of his mouth aimed right at Spike. Spike ducked, remembering when Doc had pulled a similar move against Xander. In a flash, Doc ducked to his knees and grabbed Spike's legs, pulling them out from underneath him and sending him sprawling against the floor.  
  
Spike! Dawn thought, watching the two fight. She struggled against the ropes, dreading what was going to happen.  
  
Quickly, Spike jumped back up onto his feet and Doc grabbed onto him. Doc grabbed Spike's arms, wrapping them behind his back so Spike couldn't lash out unexpectedly. Doc edged the two of them up right to the edge of the plank that they were standing on. Spike stared down the 100 or more stories high building, unable to get free from Doc's grasp.  
  
"Then I'll send the lady your regrets," Doc said into Spike's ear.  
  
"No..." Spike whispered, throwing a glance over at Dawn.  
  
Doc released Spike, throwing him off the tower. Dawn screamed as she watched Spike, the vampire who had become her protector, over the building. Spike landed on the ground far from where Dawn and Doc stood. He felt a wave of intense pain ripple through his body as he tried to pick himself up off the pile of bricks and wood. However, he collapsed when the pain overcame him, casting him unconscious  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike felt himself slowly start to regain consciousness, but he didn't want to open his eyes. The second that he opened his eyes, Spike knew that he would be forced to look at reality. His mind kept running the same scene over and over again, and Spike inwardly cringed. He had failed her. He couldn't help Buffy do one, simple thing and now, Dawn was probably dead. Maybe it wasn't even worth opening his eyes.  
  
However, when he felt a small, thin arm wrapped around his waist, his eyelids popped open. Spike sat up and quickly shook the arm off of his chest. He looked around him and saw that he was in Buffy's room. Black curtains covered the windows and he could smell the musk of sex...recent sex. Something very fucked up is going on here, Spike though to himself. He reached over the side of the bed and grabbed his black jeans. After putting them back on, he slid out of bed and stood up, turning around and gazing at...  
  
"Holy fuck!" Spike shouted.  
  
A few feet away in the bed, Buffy started moving, slowly waking up. Losening the bedsheet that was wrapped around her body, Buffy stretched and yawned before opening her eyes. When she opened her eyes, they traveled up to Spike, causing her to instantly grin. "Morning honey," she said sweetly.  
  
"Honey"?! Spike thought wildly. "Wha-"  
  
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, noticing the crazy expression on his face. She had never seen him look like this before. "Are you okay?" She began to sit up, holding the sheet over her chest as she stared at him.  
  
"No...what the hell happened here?" Spike asked, running his hand through his hair. The last thing that he remembered was plummeting to his sure- death, leaving Dawn alone with Doc. Now he and Buffy were...what? Lovers? A Couple?  
  
"What do you mean what happened?" Buffy asked. She smiled at him, asking, "Spike, did you hit your head last night?" She sat up and reached over the side of the bed to grab some clothes that were lying on the floor.  
  
"Well, I-"  
  
There was a knock on the door. "Hey! You guys better be decent. I'm coming in!" Dawn said through the door. Buffy finished dressing and Spike silently grabbed his shirt and threw it on, his mind bursting with questions.  
  
"Come in!" Buffy said.  
  
Dawn entered the room in her pajamas and ran over to Spike, jumping over Buffy's bed before hugging him. "Spike!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around him. Dawn's force knocked Spike off his feet, pushing him back onto the end of the bed.  
  
Spike, surprised and confused beyond reason, only sat there. "H-hey Sweet Bit," He said shakily. Then, realizing that she was okay and unharmed from Doc, he tightened his grip around her for an instant. "How are you, Bit?"  
  
"Great. Saturdays are always the best. There's no school, no homework, and no work," Dawn replied, getting up off the bed and started to head for the doorway.  
  
"I can't complain with that," Buffy said. She moved towards the edge of the bed where Spike sat and wrapped her arm around his back. She kissed his shoulder before laying her head there. Spike resisted the urge to jump back, unused to seeing so much affection from Buffy directed towards him.  
  
"Hey, I made some breakfast downstairs," Dawn said. "Hungry? I made eggs and pancakes and...slightly burned bacon."  
  
"That's sweet, Dawn," Buffy said. "You're going to Lisa's today, right? Sleepover thing?"  
  
"Right, so...I'm going to go on over to her house now." Dawn said.  
  
"What? But it's only..." Buffy looked over at the clock, thinking that it was around 9 or 10 AM. "...Two PM...nevermind."  
  
"Yeah, after all the...stuff that you two did last night, it's amazing that you woke up even now," Dawn said. Although she always teased the two about their relationship, she loved that her sister and her best Scooby-friend were together. There were just times that she wished the walls were thicker or she had some ear plugs. Or maybe both, she thought.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy said, here eyes widdening from what her younger sister was saying. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, right?"  
  
"Right," Dawn replied, walking out the doorway. "See you two tomorrow."  
  
When Dawn left, Buffy turned her head to look at Spike. "So...what were you talking about earlier? Are you okay?" She asked him.  
  
Spike calmed down and took the chance to kiss her cheek. "Sorry, love. I Guess that I just had a nightmare, that's all."  
  
"C'mon, I know that the big bad doesn't have nightmares," Buffy said. "What's going on?"  
  
"No, everything is fine," Spike replied. "I just, uh..." Suddenly, Buffy leaned over and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. Spike almost jumped back in surprise, but instead slowly grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her towards him as her lips ran over his.  
  
"Are you still worried about Glory?" Buffy asked. "Look, she's gone. Giles killed Ben so Glory is gone, and she's not coming back to get Dawn or me ever again. We're safe, thanks to you."  
  
Spike decided to play along. "Uh..." he tried speaking as he felt Buffy's hands begin to travel down his chest and then pants. "Right, sorry, love."  
  
"Want me to make it better?" Buffy asked, raising her eyebrows. "Dawn's gone...it's Saturday, so no classes for me..."  
  
"What are you implying, love?" Spike asked her.  
  
"I'll show you," Buffy replied. She placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back onto the bed. She kissed him once again, before she stared up at him. "I love you, William," she whispered to him.  
  
Spike's eyes widened before he grinned. If he had died and gone to heaven, then it wasn't too shabby. "I love you too, Buffy," Spike said, taking his hand and pushing some strands of hair out of her eyes. He kissed her again as he forced the two to roll over. Spike took his time, not knowing what would happen in the future, as he made love to her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Chapter 2

Spike was in heaven. That was his only solution for the day that he'd spent with Buffy. The two had spent the whole day in bed, kissing, laughing, touching, and talking. This was more than Spike ever thought would be possible between Buffy and himself.  
  
It was dusk and Buffy was out at the grocery store getting dinner for Dawn, Spike, and herself for the next couple of weeks. Spike had found out that he was indeed living here full time, Buffy was financially set, and Dawn hadn't even been injured by Doc. The two had talked about the fight against Glory since Spike had seemed especially spooked that afternoon.  
  
Since Buffy was out at the store, this gave Spike the opportunity to snoop around for anything about his relationship with Buffy, such as when it started, how it started, and so on. He looked at a calendar and noticed a date circled with a big heart in the center. The date read June 17, 2002.  
  
"Well, what'd'ya know?" He asked himself. "We've been goin' out for a whole bloody year, me and the slayer."  
  
Spike moved over to Buffy's desk and his eyes wandered over a few pictures of the two of them together and then a picture of Dawn, Buffy, and himself. It was somewhat obvious to Spike that the three of them had formed an unconventional family, but he was only guessing about this...he wasn't 100% sure.  
  
He looked at the desk and noticed a small, pink and purple journal sitting on the edge of the desk. Oooh, what could this be? Spike thought to himself. A diary, perhaps? After all, Buffy's diary would probably answer most of his questions. He opened the book and quickly thumbed though the pages, seeing if it was written in. Only the first few pages actually had writing, the rest were blank.  
  
Turning to the first page, Spike started reading, instantly smiling after the first sentence.  
  
June 12, 2001  
  
Spike kissed me...he *kissed* me! Ahh! Oh God, can that man kiss. We were outside on the porch getting ready to say good night to each other when...wham! He just leaned over and quickly kissed me...well, not quickly, but I wouldn't have minded if it was longer.  
  
Now my only problem is...what am I going to do with him?  
  
Everything is so weird right now. It's been about a month since Glory and everyone is fine...and now this thing with Spike comes along. He's said that he loved me for months, but I have never believed him, not until that fight with Glory. Now I know that he loves me, but I'm just so afraid.  
  
What if I lose him?  
  
If I have to kill him?  
  
What if he leaves me? I guess that's my biggest concern.  
  
He'd say that he never would, but...that's what they all say in the beginning. I don't want to get hurt...no more heartache for Buffy, that's very bad. I don't know, but I don't see Spike being the "leave town" type of guy. He's...dedicated.  
  
Dawn is bugging me about going to a friend's house, more later.  
  
June 14, 2001  
  
Note to self- hide diary better! Dawn read the last entry and then she made fun of me all day long. Now she knows that I totally want Spike....Oh God, I just wrote that I want Spike in my dairy! Now I need to lock it up in my closet or something. I'm never going to let Dawn see this.  
  
Spike and I patrolled tonight for the first time since the 12th. Well, I wouldn't really call it patrolling...it's more or less about what Angel and I used to do. Sit on a headstone and make out all night long, not caring if there are vampires or not. But MAN, can this guy kiss...I keep expecting his lips to be so rough, but they're not. Spike's...he's perfect.  
  
And I just realized that I wrote that Spike is perfect...and now I'm drooling.  
  
I need help, I like Spike.  
  
I don't know why we're doing this, why we're so drawn to each other all of a sudden. Dawn thinks it's great, she wants me to profess my undying love to him and then let him move in, she's already got it planned out. I'm so worried that this isn't going to go right.  
  
I keep telling myself, he's a vampire...but then so was Angel. And then I say, he doesn't have a soul, but then I remember everything that he's done for me. He's got a chip, but what would happen if it broke?  
  
Am I willing to risk everything again? Just to find out where this thing with Spike is going?  
  
June 16, 2001.  
  
OK, I'm ready.  
  
I have to tell him soon, I want to tell him that I need to know where we are going, that I want to have more.  
  
I'm going to tell him tomorrow @ the Bronze when we all meet up. Dawn supports me, and I think the rest of the female population of the scooby- gang will too. Anya will probably talk Xander into agreeing, and Giles...well...I'm so worried.  
  
June 17, 2001  
  
I told him.  
  
God, I don't think that I've ever seen anyone's eyes light up the way his did tonight when I told him that I loved him. Yeah, that's right...I love him. I love Spike! There's no shame in that, I openly, freely love him 110% of the way.  
  
He kissed me differently tonight...with love, and passion that I haven't ever felt before.  
  
Please, god, make this one go right. I want this one to go right.  
  
Bit by bit, the entires became shorter and shorter, until Spike noticed that Buffy was just jotting down little phrases and sentences.  
  
June 29, 2001  
  
I love him.  
  
Tonight I'm going to show him how much.  
  
July 1, 2001  
  
We made love...I love this man so much.  
  
Now he won't let me out of his sight, not that I mind.  
  
Spike closed the book and sighed. "We made love," the words seemed to echo in his mind. Bloody hell, if this is real, I don't want it to ever end. Buffy loved him- all of him, the dream that Spike thought would never come true. Spike was lost in his thoughts about the two of them- everything they had shared and everything they will have.  
  
"Spike?" A voice called out from below. "I'm home!"  
  
Spike's head snapped up. Buffy was home. "I'm coming, love!" He yelled back down to her. He placed the diary back where he had found it and walked downstairs, wanting to savor every minute he had with Buffy because he knew how valuable it was.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
That night, they were at the Bronze along with everyone else. Spike noticed that Anya and Xander were engaged and his relationship with Buffy was out in the open. What was even more important than that, was that everyone accepted the two of them as a couple. Spike's head was spinning because of all of this new information.  
  
Willow, Tara, Spike, and Buffy all sat around a round table. Spike had an arm draped around Buffy's waist in order to keep contact with her the whole time. Buffy had her cheek resting against his shoulder and her hands resting on his leg. Around them, the group listened to the music as they watched Xander and Anya on the dance floor.  
  
Willow and Tara talked together as Buffy raised her head and kissed Spike on his cheek. "I love Saturdays, don't you?"  
  
"Mmm, love them," Spike said, leaning over and kissing her back. Their kiss deepened as he pushed her and she inched herself closer towards him.  
  
"Do you want to dance?" Buffy asked him.  
  
"Well...maybe we should just go on home," Spike suggested. He kept telling himself that this wasn't real and it wouldn't last; therefore, he wanted to spend as much time as possible with her instead of being here with her friends.  
  
"No way, Spike. I came here to party and dance and you are going to show me a good time here tonight. C'mon, let's dance." Buffy said, climbing out of the stool. Spike followed her out onto the dance floor and the two started dancing together. Buffy pressed herself up to his body as the music came on, breathing in the scent of him.  
  
Spike wrapped his arms around her waist, also breathing her in. Well, this isn't so bad, he thought to himself as he swayed back and forth along with Buffy.  
  
I have a smile  
  
Stretched from ear to ear  
  
To see you walking down the road  
  
We meet at the lights,  
  
I stare for a while,  
  
The world around us dissappears.  
  
It's just you and me  
  
On my island of hope,  
  
A breath between us could be miles  
  
Let me surround you, my sea to your shore  
  
Let me be the calm you seek.  
  
Oh, and every time I'm close to you,  
  
There's too much I can't say,  
  
And you just walk away,  
  
And I forgot  
  
To tell you I love you  
  
And the night's too cold here without you.  
  
"Hey, this is our song," Buffy said to Spike. She had been thinking about the lyrics and remembered the night in the Bronze where this song had been playing the first time and she had been dancing with Spike.  
  
"Hmm?" He asked back to her.  
  
"Don't you remember?" Buffy asked him firtst. "Oh...well, we weren't really concentrating on the lyrics of a song back then.  
  
"It was that night...I remember that all I could think of was...what if I lost you? What if you...you went away, like all the others do, and I never got to tell you how I felt about you," Buffy explained. Spike assumed that she had never told him any of this before. "You asked me to dance, and this song was playing as I made up my mind to tell you that I loved you. That was the first night that we kissed, like...really kissed." Buffy explained. "It wasn't like the others."  
  
Spike, who didn't remember this ever happening, only nodded. The only things he knew about was what he read in her diary. Here she was, bearing her heart and soul to him, and Spike couldn't remember a second of it. "Knew it sounded familiar," he said. It was as though he was living in a completely different alternate universe. One where Buffy loved him, and aparently had gotten rid of Glory. One where she was happy and everyone accepted them, even Xander.  
  
I grieve in my condition  
  
For I cannot find the strength to say  
  
I need you so  
  
Oh and every time I'm close to you  
  
There's too much I can't say and you just walk away,  
  
And I forgot  
  
To tell you I love you  
  
And the night's too long and cold here without you.  
  
I grieve in my condition  
  
For I cannot find the strength to say  
  
I need you so  
  
  
  
"I love you," Buffy whispered into his ear before kissing it, "and I'm never going to stop saying it. You make me feel something that's...that's beyond love, and I finally feel free. You make me feel so...so full of life."  
  
Spike sighed, knowing that he would never get tired of hearing her profess her love for him. "I love you too, Buffy, and I promise that I will *always* make you feel that loved." He kissed her lips softly, before starting to whine, "Can we go home *now*?" he asked.  
  
She smiled up at him. "Sure thing," She grabbed his hand and started leading him out of the Bronze.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	3. Chapter 3

Spike felt himself waking up against his will. No longer could he feel Buffy wrapped within his arms the way that they had fallen asleep at the end of the night. No, he knew that this dream had to come to and end just as he thought it would. He opened his eyes and a white light engulfed him, forcing him to close his eyes in blindness. When he opened his eyes again, two strange-looking people were standing in front of him.  
  
"Welcome, lower being," the first person said. She was a woman with brown hair and a black tunic. Both her and the man standing beside her had skin that was gold with blue lightening bolts painted all over them.  
  
Spike stared at the two with a confused look on his face. "What they hell am I doing here?" He asked the two.  
  
The woman started walking up to him saying, "you are filled with questions..."  
  
"Yet you have no answers," The second person replied, also starting to walk up to Spike. The two were finishing each other's sentences as they continued talking.  
  
"We are the oracles," The woman said.  
  
"Higher beings...powers and answers for the Powers That Be." the male finished saying.  
  
"Oh! you two are the blokes that work with the pouf...uh, Angel," Spike said, thinking that it might not be the smarted decision to make fun of Angel in a place like this. For once, he was going to try to show some respect and not let his mouth get the better of him.  
  
"Ah, the vampire with a soul," the woman said.  
  
"Yes, we have helped him in the past," the man said. "But now, we are interested in helping you."  
  
"Me?" Spike asked. "What the hell would some oracles want with me?"  
  
"Lower being, you ask the wrong questions," The woman said, walking around him. Spike shuffled his weight to his other foot, feeling as though she was inspecting him like a bug under a microscope.  
  
"Okay then...what is this? What happened to me today?" Spike asked, hoping that he could get some answers from the two cryptic people.  
  
"We have shown you..." started the woman.  
  
"What your future *could* be..." the man said.  
  
The woman spoke next. "Your future with the Slayer, the warrior."  
  
"The Slayer?" Spike asked, not believing what these two were saying. "You're telling me that this was real? What you showed me is going to happen?" He closed his eyes, remembering the scent of her hair, the taste of her skin, the passion that he felt when he was with her...all real. "I'm getting a future with Buffy?"  
  
"If you complete your task...your destiny," The woman said.  
  
"My task?" Spike asked. He was getting a headache from listening to the two oracles talk back and forth and not making any sense at all. He didn't even think that he had a destiny, much less with Buffy. Spike wanted answers now!  
  
"Yes, protecting the key," the male said as though everyone should know that.  
  
"Keeping your promise to a loved one..." the woman added. "To protect her...until the end of the world." she repeated the last words that Spike and Buffy shared that night.  
  
"Defeat the Glorificus beast and a string of motions will be set in place. A string of events that..."  
  
"That you will most undoubtedly enjoy," the woman finished up.  
  
"Love. A lifetime with the Slayer," the man said.  
  
"All of this shall be yours," the woman said, stopping to stand in front of him and address him. "If you defeat him."  
  
Spike lowered his head, remembering what had happened the first time. He had failed miserably. Even though he knew what to expect, Doc was faster than him. No matter what Spike might throw at him, Doc would win...he would open the portal. "What if...what if I can't do it? I couldn't do it the first time, so what is going to make the second go around any different?"  
  
"We can show you..." the man started.  
  
"What your life will be like without the Slayer. We will give you the day and visions of a life without the warrior," the woman said. She walked back over and stood by her brother. "Then, you must decide." The woman cast out her hand and once again, Spike was thrown into darkness.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike once again woke with the feeling of pain surging throughout his body. However, when he opened his eyes, instead of finding himself in Buffy's room, he was lying on the ground where he had landed the first time after Doc threw him off the tower. God, what is this going to be like? Spike thought to himself.  
  
He tried to stand, but collapsed again. His legs were too weak and his back ached. Spike finally managed to drag himself over to where everyone else was standing. No one made a word as they all stared at one thing- Buffy. Dead Buffy.  
  
Xander stood to the side holding Anya in his arms. The two shed no tears, but both were silent and unmoving.  
  
Willow and Tara stood together, holding onto each other for support.  
  
Giles stood there...with an empty and dead expression on his face.  
  
And from behind them, Dawn slowly came down the stairs, holding onto the railing as pain ran throughout her body from the cuts around her side.  
  
And Spike, like everyone else, was frozen.  
  
She was dead. He knew that this must have been what the Powers were going to show him, but the shock from actually *seeing* her lying there, looking so peaceful, was more than he could bear. Before he could stop himself, he was crying. He lowered his head, crying into his hands, as he realized that *he* was the cause of this...getting thrown off the tower had signed Buffy's death certificate. He had gotten her killed. With that thought in mind, his tears only increased, and he didn't know how to stop.  
  
How would he ever stop crying?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Although the Powers said that Spike was getting a day, he felt suddenly transported to a day that was weeks after the day Buffy died. These must have been the visions...this was the future, Spike assumed.  
  
Spike looked around himself and saw fires, fighting, and demons running around the street. People were running everywhere, running from the demons or towards some place that would give them safety.  
  
"Spike!" A voice called out from the right.  
  
Spike looked around before turning and running towards the voice. He couldn't tell who it was at first but he could tell that he was suppose to go and help that person. "Hang on!" He shouted.  
  
"Spike! Help!" And then Spike recognized the voice- it was Willow. He found her and saw that dozens and dozens of unrecognizable demons had surrounded Tara and her. There was no escape and they didn't seem to be using magic. Did they forget their tricks? Spike thought for a second.  
  
Never before had he seen Sunnydale so overrun with demons. They had set up blockades and pits were filled with dead human bodies. Sunnydale had become the embodiment of pure Hell. There was no way that he could get to her in time and he watched, with a horrific look etched on his face, as the demons slowly began to kill Tara and Willow.  
  
"Spike!" Willow called out as she lay on the ground, bleeding to death. "Xander...Anya, and Giles are dead. Grab Dawnie and get out of here! It's what Buffy would want."  
  
Spike turned around and started running to Buffy's home, somehow knowing that Dawn was supposed to be there. None of this made sense to him, but he kept on running, try to get to Dawn. He had let Buffy down once and there was no way that he'd let it happen again.  
  
Bloody hell, without Buffy here, all the demons came back and took over the town. There's no slayer here...there's no hope. Spike realized. We need Buffy here. If not just for my sake, but for this town's...the world's. He neared Buffy's house and stopped, falling to the ground in shock as he stared at the sight in front of him.  
  
He didn't even try to fight when the demons came up to him with clubs in their hands, knifes attached to their fingers...all he could do was stare as Buffy's house went up in flames, Spike somehow knowing that Dawn was trapped inside.  
  
He closed his eyes and everything went black...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So, lower being, have you chosen?" The female oracle asked him.  
  
Spike shook his head, getting his bearings back. He looked around himself and found that he was back in the Oracles' realm. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He had seen a world with and a world without Buffy Summers. Making the right choice was easy. There was no other option.  
  
"Send me back." Spike said. "I'll kill that bloke this time."  
  
"As you wish..." The male oracle began.  
  
"Kill the demon and set things right in your world." The female oracle added.  
  
"I will," Spike gruffly said as he felt himself being thrown out of the marble building. A bright light surrounded him and he closed his eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	4. Chapter 4

When Spike felt himself begin to wake up once again, he felt ready to take on Doc. He knew what Doc would throw at him and planned out his attack this time. There was no way that he'd get Dawnie get hurt or Buffy die. "Spike....Spike, can you hear me?" Willow asked in his head.  
  
Spike, smiled, remembering already having this conversation with the Witch. "Yeah, loud and clear," he said.  
  
"Is there someone up there with Dawn?" she asked him.  
  
"Yeah, can't tell who," Spike replied, deciding to not let Willow know that he knew who was up there.  
  
"Are you talking to us?" Xander asked to his right.  
  
"Get up there. Go now," Willow commanded, her voice direct and commanding.  
  
Instead of trying to argue with her, Spike leapt to his feet and started heading for the tower. He watched as all the people guarding the steps were thrown to the side, courtesy of Willow, as he started heading up the stairs.  
  
"Spike!" Dawn yelled out to him.  
  
"Doesn't a bloke stay dead when you kill him?" Spike asked as he started walking out towards Doc and Dawn.  
  
"Looks who's talking," Doc replied, smiling at him.  
  
"C'mon Doc, let's you and me have a go."  
  
"I...I do have a prior appointment," Doc started.  
  
"Well, this won't take long," Spike said.  
  
"No, I don't imagine that it will," Doc replied before moving. IN a flash, he was behind Spike and he stuck the knife that he was holding in Spike's back.  
  
"Ow!" Spike shouted. "Bloody hell, that's my jacket!" Doc tried to throw him to the ground, but Spike remembered the move and quickly ducked out of the way.  
  
Instead, he quickly turned around and grabbed onto Doc, pulling him down to the ground along with him. He turned around again and, as though the roles had completely switched, Spike pushed Doc towards the edge of the tower, preparing to throw him off. "See, mate? I told you that it wouldn't take long." He released Doc, and pushed him off the edge of the tower.  
  
He watched as Doc went flying off the edge of the tower before heading over to Dawn. "You okay, Sweet Bit?"  
  
"Yeah," Dawn replied as Spike started untying the ropes that bound her to the tower.  
  
"C'mon, Nibblet, let's go on. Big Sis is gonna be relieved to see you," Spike said, starting to guide her back down the steps. Spike and Dawn walked down the tower together. In the end, Dawn helped Spike get down the last few steps. He was bleeding through the back of his shirt and coat and his back was killing him; however, all the pain dissappeared when he saw Buffy standing only feet away. As he watched her start to walk over to Dawn, he couldn't even feel the pain anymore.  
  
Spike fell to his knees as he realized what he had done. He had saved Buffy...protected Dawnie and her, just like he had promised. And although no one else would ever know, his one little act of pushing Doc off the tower had saved everyone's life.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled, running over to her. She grabbed Dawn in a fierce hug, smiling. "Thank God you're safe."  
  
"I'm okay, Buffy," Dawn said, holding onto her sister. "Spike saved me. He killed the guy up there."  
  
Buffy turned and stared at Spike, her arms dropping from Dawn. She walked over and bent her knees, bending down and looking at Spike. "You saved Dawnie?"  
  
Spike tried to continue ignoring the pain. "I told you I would, Buffy. I promised you that I would." Suddenly, Buffy's arms came flying at him and as she tightly hung onto him. "Ow! Oh, bloody hell."  
  
Buffy jumped back from him, afraid that she had hurt him even more than before. "Ooh! Sorry, did I hurt you?"  
  
"No, that bloke cut me up real nice in my back," Spike said. "Just needs some mending, that's all."  
  
"Here, let me help you," Buffy said. She stood and helped Spike stand beside her. Her hands supported his side and stomach to keep him balanced. He almost told her that he could walk just fine until he felt her hands travel over his chest.  
  
"Thank you, Buffy," Spike said, moving his arm to wrap it around her shoulders.  
  
Slowly, Buffy started wrapping her arms around him again, until the two were embraced in a tight hug. Her friends, although watching from a distance, made no move to interfere. "Thank you, thank you..." Buffy repeated in Spike's ear. "Thank you *so* much, Spike."  
  
Spike, unused to being thanked for anything, much less something from Buffy, could only stammer a nervous, "you're welcome."  
  
"Thank you for saving my baby sister," Buffy whispered in his ear. Finally, she let go and started to help him walk. "C'mon, let's get you inside. I don't think Dawn would be too happy that her protector burst into flames."  
  
"Feelings mutual," Spike muttered, started to walk alongside Buffy.  
  
She and Spike eventually walked up to where her friends were standing. "Okay, what's the plan?" She asked Giles.  
  
"Uh...well, I think that, uh, sleep sounds good in a situation like this." Giles said.  
  
"Sleep...sleep, Oh!" Xander said. "I vaguely remember sleep. That's when you close your eyes and rest and then wake up with newly found energy, right?" The gang all stared at him as though he was insane. "Sorry, haven't gotten much sleep recently."  
  
"No one here has," Buffy said. "But I think I'm going to go home and sleep for the next three days."  
  
"I'm right there with you," Willow agreed. "Hey Buff...can we hang out at your house? It just...it just doesn't seem right to be separating...going to different places, after we've done all of this." In past years, after defeating the big bad, they had always gone to Buffy's home for some relaxing time. After Adam, after the Mayor, after the Master...it had become tradition.  
  
"Sure thing, my house is free...plenty of room for everyone," Buffy said. She always loved it when her friends were over at her house. Ever since her mother had died, when her friends were together in the house, the rooms seemed to be filled with life once again. "Me, Dawn, Willow and Tara in Mom's room, Xander, Anya on the couch, Spike..."  
  
"Basement, I know," Spike said.  
  
"Giles?" Buffy asked him, wondering whether or not he wanted to go home.  
  
"I think that I'll just go back to my flat, Buffy," Giles said. He walked up to her and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Excellent work, Buffy."  
  
She smiled. "Well, Spike was the one who saved Dawn."  
  
"Yeah, *me.* The guy who is burning here and loosing blood from a life- threatening stab wound," Spike said sarcastically.  
  
"You're already dead, Spike. You can't get any deader." Buffy replied. She rolled her eyes when he only grunted in response. "C'mon, I think its time to head on home." She turned around, still holding onto Spike, as the gang started making their way to Buffy's home.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After the sun had set and Buffy had gotten about 10 hours of much-needed rest, she decided to head down to the basement where Spike was resting. She knew that he had gotten stabbed from the fight with Doc and hoped that he had healed up all right. Buffy tiptoed down the stairs as to not wake anyone as she passed Xander and Anya sleeping together on the couch.  
  
She paused at the top of the stairs, not really knowing what she would say when she got down there to talk to him. The two were friends now and she was in debt to him for what he had done today to help her. I know Spike would be pleased about that, Buffy thought to herself. It seemed as though he expected nothing for helping her, something else that surprised Buffy. In the past, he'd always wanted something in exchange for his help, but not last night. So, where were they suppose to go from there?  
  
Finally, taking a deep breath, she headed down the stairs. She walked deeper into the basement, finally finding Spike lying on one of the rollaway beds that had been stuffed somewhere in the back of the basement. "Spike?" she asked softly, afraid that he was still sleeping and she didn't want to wake him. She paused, waiting for a response and not getting one.  
  
After waiting another moment, she turned back around to go back up the stairs. "Buffy?" Spike asked, raising his head off the mattress. He'd been sleeping and dreaming...dreaming of the life that he might now have with her. The fact that she was no here was just adding to the distinct possibility that someday they might be more than friends.  
  
"Hey," she said, walking over closer towards him. "You're awake."  
  
"Yeah, well...I thought that I heard something movin' about," Spike said, sitting up off the bed. His knife wound had healed since he'd rested up and he was finally feeling better.  
  
"Are...are you okay?" Buffy asked. She walked over and sat next to him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." Spike said. "Didn't know you cared."  
  
"Spike..." Buffy started, surprised that he still held resentment over everything that she had done or said to him in the past.  
  
Spike shook his head, thinking that he should sometimes not let his ego talk. "Sorry, love...old habit, saying stuff like that to you."  
  
"It's okay," Buffy replied, moving over closer to him. "And...I care," she finally managed to say. I care a lot, she thought to herself. Spike stared at her, the corners of his mouth slowly turning upwards to a smile. "Hey," she said, smiling and trying to change the topic. "I hear that the Bronze is selling those blooming onions again."  
  
"Really?" Spike asked. "Someone's got taste there. I'm telling you...those blokes were downright bloody stupid to take that off the menu."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Buffy said. "''S the only thing this place had going for it,"" she said in a very bad British accent. "Tell me something new, Spike."  
  
Spike grinned after hearing that she remembered when he was talking to her at the Bronze. "Well? What'd'ya say that you and I go get one? We can discuss the fine choice of hops."  
  
Buffy smiled and shook her head. He'd remembered that conversation. "Fine, but don't wake anyone up, okay? Xander and Anya are right out there."  
  
"You've got it, Buffy." Spike replied. The two rose from the bed and started to head towards the stairs. Buffy noticed that he'd suddenly stopped calling her "Slayer," that cold title that he always referred to her as. Instead, he finally called her by her name, the word rolling off his tongue. Yeah, she liked that much better.  
  
The two crept past the sleeping couple on the couch and walked out the front door, silently closing it behind them. Buffy and Spike walked down the sidewalk on her street, neither one of them speaking.  
  
Finally, just so he knew, Buffy spoke up. "Just so you know...this is *not* a date, Spike." she said. "Okay? It's merely a thank you dinner."  
  
Spike smiled smugly at her, amused that he knew something that she didn't. "Sure, love. I know that it's not a date." He kept his pace matched with hers as he remembered the day and night that the two spent together. But maybe someday soon...it will be.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The beginning... 


End file.
